SPECIES:  Arbutus arizonica

• Introductory
• Distribution and Occurrence
• Management Considerations
• Botanical and Ecological Characteristics
• Fire Ecology
• Fire Effects
• References

Introductory
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica



AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Pavek, Diane S. 1993. Arbutus arizonica. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 
Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). 
Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [].




ABBREVIATION : 
ARBARI

SYNONYMS : 
   Arbutus xalapensis var. arizonica Gray


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   ARAR2


COMMON NAMES : 
   Arizona madrone
   Arizona madrono


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name of Arizona madrone is Arbutus
arizonica (Gray) Sarg. [11,25].  It is a member of the heather family
(Ericaceae).  There are no recognized subspecies, varieties, or forms.


LIFE FORM : 
Tree, Shrub

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Arizona madrone has a limited distribution.  It is found in the
foothills and lower mountains of southern Arizona and New Mexico, and
northern Mexico [11,22,25].


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES21  Ponderosa pine
   FRES34  Chaparral - mountain shrub
   FRES35  Pinyon - juniper


STATES : 
     AZ  NM  MEXICO



BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
   
    7  Lower Basin and Range
   12  Colorado Plateau
   13  Rocky Mountain Piedmont


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K018  Pine - Douglas-fir forest
   K019  Arizona pine forest 
   K023  Juniper - pinyon woodland
   K031  Oak - juniper woodlands


SAF COVER TYPES : 
   237  Interior ponderosa pine
   239  Pinyon - juniper
   240  Arizona cypress
   241  Western live oak


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
Arizona madrone is widespread in mesic areas of the Madrean (i.e.,
Sierra Madre) evergreen woodlands, extending up into the mixed
coniferous forest [1,4,13].  Additionally, it is a minor component of
two riparian community types: (1) Arizona sycamore/American ash
(Platanus wrightii/Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and (2) Arizona sycamore
[24].  Arizona madrone is an important species within the oak-pine
woodland, especially the pygmy conifer-oak scrub (Pinus
cembroides-Juniperus deppeana-Quercus arizonica, Q. emoryi) [5,17,30].
It is also found in drier adjacent communities with buckbrush (Ceanothus
huichugore) [4,18].  It is listed as a minor seral species in the
following classification:

Forest and woodland habitat types (plant associations) of Arizona south
  of the Mogollon Rim and southwestern New Mexico [33].

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Arizona madrone has light-colored sapwood that is close grained, heavy,
soft, and brittle.  The wood has a specific gravity of approximately
0.71.  Arizona madrone has been used to manufacture charcoal and
gunpowder [22,28].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Arizona madrone is rarely browsed except by goats [22].  Its fruits are
eaten by mammals and birds and may be an important food source for some
species, such as the elegant trogan [32].  Arizona madrone may provide
nest sites for cavity-nesting or other birds.


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
The fruit of Arizona madrone has narcotic properties, and the bark is
used as an astringent [21].


OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Arizona madrone is a native, broadleaf, evergreen tree or shrub [11].
Stout, spreading branches form a compact, round-topped crown [21].  It
grows 19 to 50 feet (6-15 m) tall with a diameter of 18 to 24 inches
(46-61 cm) [11,21,22,28].  The bark is smooth, thin, and peels off in
sheets [7,11,21].  Thick, oblong leaves are leathery, and 2 to 3 inches
(5-7.2 cm) long.  The fruit is a mealy, sweet berry.  The berry contains
many seeds [25,27,28].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Arizona madrone reproduces sexually by seed.  Fleshy, bright-colored
fruits may be animal disseminated, as are the fruits of another madrone
species (Arbutus unedo) [10,16].  Madrone species, including Arizona 
madrone, sprout from the root crown after top-kill by burning or other 
disturbance [10,14,15,34].  Arizona madrone grows slowly [27].


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Arizona madrone is found in mesic canyons, on lower slopes, and mountain
sides [1].  It occurs on well-drained, gravelly, and sunny sites [7,28].
Arizona madrone is confined to moist riparian areas at low elevations
(1,600 to 2,200 feet [487-671 m]) but occurs more commonly at elevations
from 4,000 to 8,000 feet (1,219-2,438 m) [6,11,28,30].  It occurs on a
variety of soils formed from resideual or colluvial parent materials
[33].  Arizona madrone is often on open, north-facing or intermediate
east- and west-facing slopes.  In the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona,
its highest frequency (23 percent) was on north-facing slopes [30].

The climate is semiarid to arid with bimodal rainy seasons (July to
September and December to March) [1,5,30].  Rainfall is variable with
mean annual precipitation from 11 to 20 inches (280-500 mm).

Common associated species are New Mexico locust (Robina neomexicana),
silverleaf oak (Quercus hypoleucoides), netleaf oak (Q. rugosa), Apache
pine (Pinus engelmannii), and Chihuahua pine (Pinus leiophylla var.
chihuahuana) [5,6,24,29,32].  Other associated species are longtongue
muhly (Muhlenbergia longiligula) and New Mexico groundsel(Senecio
neomexicanus) [33].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Little information was found in the literature about the successional
status of Arizona madrone.  It reportedly occurs as a mid- to late seral
species [32].  Based upon the performance of other members of this
genus, Arizona madrone is most likely a facultative seral species.
Another madrone species (Arbutus unedo) that holds a similar ecological
role in Corsican woodlands is a mid-successional species [16].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
New leaves of Arizona madrone are put out in May and again after the
summer rains; these leaves persist about 1 year [21].  Arizona madrone
flowers from April to May or June [3,11,28].  Fruits ripen October
through November [21,28].

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Arizona madrone has thin bark, which makes it susceptible to fire damage. 
It sprouts from the root crown after top-kill [34]. Published information 
on the fire ecology of Arizona madrone is sparse.  Further research is 
needed in this area [1].  

Fire is infrequent and has a minor role in the riparian communities in
which Arizona madrone is a component; however, fire occurs frequently in
the pine-oak woodland types in which it also occurs [17].

Arizona madrone in the Chiricahua and Santa Catalina Mountains of
Arizona has survived fire.  In a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)/oak
community, an Arizona madrone had eight fire scars, indicating frequent
fires [31].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   survivor species; on-site surviving root crown or caudex
   off-site colonizer; seed carried by animals or water; postfire yr 1&2
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Arizona madrone has thin bark and is top-killed by fire [34].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Arizona madrone sprouts from the root corwn after top-kill by fire [34].

Madrean evergreen woodlands in Arizona were prescribed burned in 1983.
In 1989 and 1990, no sprouting or germination of Arizona madrone was
found.  The small, slow-moving fires may have caused root damage to
Arizona madrone, which suppressed sprouting or killed the plants [32].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Arizona madrone occurs in canyons that are often involved in prescribed
fire programs within the Madrean evergreen woodlands [1].

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Arbutus arizonica



REFERENCES : 

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